The Bad Batch Season 3 - A New Theory And The Future For Tech

Thank you ♡

Now that The Bad Batch has come to a close, I wanted to make a little appreciation post.

It has been such an honour to be apart of this beautiful community. The past 3 years have been truly wonderful. Through all of the ups and downs, the happy and sad, the exciting and tragic moments. I have so much fun and have deeply loved the camaraderie, the discussions, the memes and the absolutely stunning art works. Thank you to everyone who have been apart of this journey. I will miss this show and its characters, but I’m also grateful to have experienced their story. While I still wish certain parts of the show had ended differently, I will forever miss them, especially our goggle nerd. And lastly, thank you to the amazing and talented folks who worked on this show, Especially Dee Bradley Baker and Michelle Ang.

Thank you everyone, I’m sending all my love and gratitude to you! ♡

The Bad Batch s2e12 Review and Discussion - The Breaking Point of Crosshair

Massive Spoilers Ahead!

That was by far one of the greatest episodes I think i've ever watched. I don't even know where to begin and I do not say this lightly - I have been thoroughly broken by this show. I am genuinely heartbroken at this point.

First and foremost, the music was on point. It hit every single emotion it wanted to convey and it complimented the themes of this episode perfectly. Kevin Kiner remains to be one of the best composers, in my opinion.

Secondly, the symbolism that was the lone ice vulture flying above Crosshair's head throughout the episode was just poetic. It really got the message across to the viewers that Crosshair is utterly and brutally alone. He is nothing more than something that is “expendable” in the eyes of the Empire. This episode made that evermore clearer to Cross.

Thirdly, the new clone introduced in this episode, Commander Mayday, was a perfect way to SHOW (and not just tell) Crosshair the tragedies, the mistreatment and the injustices that the clones are facing. Throughout the entire episode, both Cross and the viewers were reminded of just how poorly the clones are being treated. Mayday's inevitable death was the final moment for Crosshair; It genuinely broke him (and me, frankly). The lieutenant (I forgot his name because idfc) really rubbed it into Crosshair’s face about what the clones mean to the Empire.

The emotions that we get to see Crosshair experience throughout this episode really show just how broken his spirit is; he has reached his breaking point. He was left both physically and emotionally devastated by the end of his mission; losing yet another companion, another brother. Someone whom he was just beginning to confide in, especially to feel less alone. I also found it quite fascinating to see him express distress when the ship blew up and caused him a sort-of sensory overload. A bit of an ode to the Batches enhanced features.

 I appreciated the little details of him shivering in the cold as he and Mayday made their way back to the outpost; huddling together to survive. on top of that, his facial expressions really showed just how lost, distraught, devastated and broken he has become. Truly, what a masterful episode. Crosshair shooting the lieutenant by the end of the episode was his moment of “going awol,” albeit, in the most devastating and heart wrenching way. 

The ending of this episode was rather concerning. I literally have no idea what that lady poked his neck with nor do I have the faintest idea as to why he's on Tantiss but I'm very nervous about it. I hope he isn't being brainwashed again or [arguably] even worse, becoming the prototype of a dark trooper. Istfg If this happens, You’ll be hearing from my therapist and my lawyer, Filoni. For the love of all things decent in this world, please let him go home to his family. 

This episode, once again, cements exactly why I love Crosshair's character so much. Truly a terribly tragic character and I ate that shit up. I'm shellshocked.

 20/10. Feelings have been hurt.

I love Crosshair, I really do. He is such a complex and tragic character; he has so much potential. But it's getting increasingly difficult to keep defending him when he keeps making the absolute worst decisions (bordering on crimes against humanity). He needs to get off that Imperial za and get some sense slapped into him.

The irony in all this is that for someone who is supposed to be an enhanced, dare I say superior, clone commando, his ability to analyze his situation and see the bigger picture is next to nonexistent. Moreover, it's even more ironic when he keeps saying "good soldiers follow orders"... like when did he ever follow rules? (As a former member of a group of clones whose whole purpose was to do things differently and that also means not following the rules all the time)

Please...let him be happy with his brothers and sister again...and please let them all survive...I'm begging...I can't take much more of this...

THIS! Very well said.

Regarding Tech and one reason I think we’re all reeling:

So, we’re all pretty hurt right now. Even if you’re firmly in the “Tech lived” camp, which I am, it still hurts—it still feels like a death, and something that needs to be mourned, even if or when he makes it back. I’ve seen a lot of people say it feels like they’re grieving a friend, not a fictional character. And one reason for that, beyond Tech being a well-developed, beloved character, beyond him being a fantastic piece of representation, even beyond the way that our brains can react to fictional characters the same way they do to real people, is that Tech’s story is so unfinished.

He’s developing this amazing relationship with Omega. He has the chance of staying on Pabu in peace and being something other than a soldier. He maybe discovered a passion for racing. He’s branching out and appreciating the galaxy beyond the war, the republic, the separatists, the Jedi, and being allowed to appreciate how broad it is in ways he hadn’t before. He’s falling in love with someone who’s falling for him. He’s pushing to get his brother back and reunite his family. And then—

His story gets derailed. The batch’s story gets derailed—by something none of them could have accounted for. No one expected there to be someone else infiltrating Eriadu. But there was, and it sends the whole trajectory of his life, all of their lives, figuratively and literally—they’re on a train when this happens, guys—off the tracks. Suddenly Tech has to let himself fall to give his family a chance. It’s fast, it’s brutal, and it’s almost nonsensical. It shouldn’t need to happen—but it does. And that’s how loss happens in real life, a lot of the time.

Sometimes there’s closure, and sometimes the people we lose get to live out their whole full lives, but not always. A lot of the time, they had plans. They were just going about and being themselves. The walk out the door and you think nothing of it and then—they’re gone. And now there’s so much left to do, so much unsaid, so many things that will never happen because they’re gone. You come home after hearing the news and their room is empty. There’s a half eaten bowl of cereal they left on the table. Their favorite chair is empty. There’s no satisfying conclusion or narrative closure—it’s just life, interrupted, suddenly and brutally, in a way that’s impossible to understand. That’s often how it is. And right now, for the batch characters, and for us, that’s Tech. He has everything to live for—and then he’s ripped away.

Now, this is something that rarely happens in fiction, because it’s incredibly unsatisfying. Maybe because loss is so sudden and cruel in the real world, we want our fictional deaths to come with purpose and feel like a natural conclusion. And while the unsatisfactory nature of Tech’s “death” is one of the many (many) (seriously there are so many) reasons why I don’t think this is permanent, it does (for now) put us on the same emotional footing as the characters in a way it wouldn’t if it had happened in a narratively satisfying way. We’re not just sad, we’re grieving him right alongside them. It feels unfair and wrong because it is. It wasn’t supposed to be like this! This wasn’t supposed to happen! And no, it wasn’t. But things got derailed on Eriadu.

Immortalized in our hearts ♡

This is how I'll keep them in my heart - safe, happy, and together, always ✧₊⁺

This show got me through the worst years of my life, providing so much joy, comfort, and inspiration, I'll never have enough words to express how grateful I am to everyone who's been a part of creating it, and the friends I made along the way.

My First Post! TBB made me do it... Season 2 Episode 3 Thoughts (NO SPOILERS)

I never thought I would post anything here, since I only created an account to look at art but here I am. I just really needed to rant. I just finished watching episode 3 of TBB season 2 and (do not fret, this is a spoil free zone), all I'm going to say is wow. Just wow. Phenomenal, insightful and yet so heartbreaking. Overall, a well executed episode in my opinion. 10/10 Also yes, it's 3:50am🙃

Here are just a few of my sketches of Tech and Crosshair. I need to draw more Cross though. Anyways, enjoy!

1) [Soft-style] Tech

2) Tech (in my style)

3) [soft-style] Crosshair

Per usual, please do not share without permission and credit. Reblogs allowed

"The Solitary Clone" is a Masterpiece **MASSIVE SPOILERS!** Episode 3 Discussion PART 1

Today's episode of The Bad Batch was truly a work of art. I wanted to discuss just how well executed of an episode it was, especially because this is my shit as an English major. I love the tragedy and the multiple levels of symbolism in literature. This will be divided into two parts because for some reason, Tumblr isn’t letting me post it in one :/ Okay, first and foremost, they did an excellent job in setting the tone for this episode. From the way that it opened with Crosshair waking up in his drab and dimly lit room (a nice call back to Kallus from Rebels), to him going to eat with other clones that end up leaving when he sits with them, and even when he is called to Ramparts office. Right off the bat, the viewers are immersed in what Crosshair is feeling and thinking. He is very much alone, isolated and conflicted (more on this later). I also wanted to note the importance of the scene were the two clones are discussing the Defence Recruitment bill that would effectively see clones filtered out and replaced by citizens (I'll reference this later on too). When Crosshair goes to speak with Rampart, immediately I'm heartbroken to hear how long he was stranded on Kamino (32 rotations...wtf). Moreover, the way I see it, Rampart is a representative (literally and metaphorically) of the Empires value or lack thereof. His blatant disregard and disrespect to Crosshair, and in turn soldiers in general, could be the breaking point for Cross if this treatment continues (which I'm guessing it will).  The way I understand and interpret it, Crosshair is confused and conflicted about everything. He remains with the Empire because it's easy and because it's the only life he's ever known. Leaving that life behind and deserting it means that he must face himself in order to understand 1) who he is, 2) what he wants and 3) what/who he cares about. He isn't at that stage of his story...yet. But we as the viewers are slowly but surely seeing his resolve begin to break through these interactions and experiences (discussed above). Now, the scene with Crosshair and Cody. Everyone has already analyzed this to death but I'll just reiterate it. Cody and Crosshair meet in front of the clone memorial and they have a brief conversation before going on their mission. This scene is great because we see them testing each other in this conversation and seeing where they stand/how they feel about everything that's happened and is happening. Cody, obviously, is further along in his realizations than Crosshair is. We see this through the ways that Cody looks at the memorial and Crosshair respectively. He is uncertain, sad and also very confused. The scene where Cody mentions the uncertainty of the clones as well as how more and more of them (including the bad batch) are going awol is great. As I mentioned above, this is Cody testing the waters with Crosshair to see where he stands in all this. And when Cross responds by saying that "they are traitors just like the Jedi," it is fantastic because the tension only increases. Cody is visibly distraught by this (probably because he is remembering what he was forced to do) and falls back onto the "good soldiers follow orders." Well played Filoni et al.

Guys, I think we've seen all the trailer clips, which means we'll be going in blind now. I'm feeling like it'll be rough from here on out. Buckle up, It's about to get traumatizing 🤕😷

Edit: Most, not all trailer clips

As both a Tech girlie and a Crosshair girlie since the moment they were introduced to the world (back in 2020 with season 7 of The Clone Wars), I couldn't be happier with the past two episodes. I would imagine that many of my fellow Tech and Crosshair fans can agree when I say that it's truly wonderful to see them finally get the screen time and character development that they've deserved (respectively). And yes, I know it was a filler episode but I was still smiling the entire time. I am very pleased.

I do need to say this, though. I find it to be quite hilarious how we go from last week's episode of Crosshair living his worst life (actually fighting for his life, albeit, due to his own choices). Then this week's episode is just Tech living his best life. Not a care in the world, just racing, with his siblings cheering him on... LOL The dichotomy is amusing and ironic.

Okay that is all. 😗✌️